Terms of Use

By creating an account or using OpenWaterSpots you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please don't use the service.

OpenWaterSpots is a community map, conditions reference, and logbook for open-water swimmers. It is an information and community tool, not a safety service.

Weather, tide, and water-quality data are provided by third parties for general information and may be inaccurate, delayed, or unavailable. Community-submitted spots, reviews, and condition reports are opinions of other users, not verified facts. You are solely responsible for deciding whether it is safe to swim. Always check official forecasts, tell someone where you are going, and never rely on this app in an emergency — dial your local emergency number. See our safety guidance.

You must be at least 16 to use OpenWaterSpots. Keep your password secure; you are responsible for activity under your account. You can delete your account at any time from Profile → Edit → Account.

You keep ownership of everything you post — swims, photos, spots, reviews, comments. By posting it, you grant OpenWaterSpots a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to store, display, and distribute that content as part of running the service. This licence ends for new uses when you delete the content or your account, except where content has become part of the shared spot catalogue.

You confirm that content you post is yours to share and does not infringe anyone else's rights — only upload photos you took or have permission to use.

You agree not to:

• Log activities that are not genuine open-water swims (the app rejects tracks faster than swimming pace, but don't try to game it).
• Post false, misleading, or dangerous spot or conditions information.
• Harass, abuse, impersonate, or threaten other swimmers.
• Upload unlawful, obscene, or infringing content.
• Scrape, overload, or attempt to break the service, or misuse the API.
• Use OpenWaterSpots for spam or unsolicited promotion.

We may remove content or suspend accounts that break these rules, using the in-app report and admin tools.

Spots added to the community map become part of a shared catalogue for the benefit of all swimmers. They remain on the map even if you delete your account. Spot data is also partly sourced from open datasets (OpenStreetMap, the UK Environment Agency, and the European Environment Agency) under their respective licences.

OpenWaterSpots is provided “as is”, without warranties of any kind. We do not guarantee that conditions data is accurate, that the service will be uninterrupted, or that it is fit for any particular purpose.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, OpenWaterSpots and its operator are not liable for any injury, loss, or damage arising from your use of the service or from any decision to enter the water. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence.

We may update these terms as the product evolves; the effective date above will change and significant updates will be communicated in-app. We may suspend or end the service, or your access to it, where reasonably necessary.

Questions about these terms? Email alexandru.coci@olympian.org.